Sewer-flushing device



Juli' 30,1929.. i l.. F'. .KA'roNA 1,722,411'

SEWER FLUSHING DEVICE Filed March\5, 1929 i NVETOR.

A TTORNEY.

Patented July 3G, i929.

Uhll'l' S'lA'iES rainer ortica.

LOUIS F. KATONA, OF LOS ANGELES. CALIFORNIA.

SWER-FLUSHING- DEVICE.

Application filed March 5, 1929. Serial No. 344,218.

rllhis invention relates to an improved type of sewer flushing device and is particularly directed to that general class of devices which automatically function to periodically 5 discharge a predetermined volume of flushing water into a sewer system.

A device of this general character comprises a flushing well having a valved outlet coimi'iunicating with the sewer conduit to be flushed, said valve being arranged to be automatically opened by mechanism controlled by a predetermined head of water which is permitted to flow into the well at a predetermined preferably slow rate.

In a prior patent, No. 1,70e,437, issued to me March 5, 1929, there is disclosed a device of this general nature having an improved type of valve which is operated by a tripping pan or bucket situated in a pit below the floor-board of the well and adapted to receivev the overflow from the well until said pan contains a sullicient weight et' water to overbalance the weight of the valve so as to open said valve and release the water contained in the well, thus effecting the sewer flushing operation.

n devices of this character, the positioning of the pan or bucket in a pit below the floor-board oit the well, upon which floorboard the entire mechanism is supported and from which said pan is suspended, has proven to be objectionable in that it is eX- tremely unaccessible for repair or adjustment and for the reason that in order to substitute a new pan for one which is no longer serviceable, it becomes necessary to disinount the lentire upper structure and remove the floor-board.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a Sewer flushing devvice of the general character referred to, in which all of the mechanism is positioned above the floor-board and is readily accessible for repair or replacement of parts.

ln my prior patent above identified, there is disclosed a tubular type of flushing valve which extends above the vmaximum level ol" the water in the well so that the water v water in order to counteract suction influences tending to prematurely close the flush# ing valve during a sewer flushing operation.

Since this type of valve has proven to be ot exceptional merit in actual service, it is an object of the present invention to ineorporate therewith an operating bucket and connecting mechanism, with saidbueket disposed within such flushing valve in a position -readily accessible for repair or re* placement.

lt is another and important object of the present invention to provide an improved form of connecting means between the {lushing valve and the operating bucket, whereby the descending element exerts an increasing elevating influence upon the ascending element throughout their strokes, this insuring more positive and quicker opening and closing inevements ot thel flushing valve. f

A further object is to provide a drain means for the operating bucket which will insure a proper draining of said bucket after e eh rsewer flushing operation of the device.

Various other objects and advantages will be morefully apparent from the following description of the accompanying Vdrawings which form a part of this disclosure and which illustrate a preferred form of embodiment of thek invention.

ln the drawings: Y

Fig. l .is a vertical section illustrating the flushing device oi' the present invention as mounted for operation within the well of a sewer system.

Fig. 2 is a partial plan section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectiontaken on the line 3-#3 of Fig'. 1.

In the drawings, 10 designates a well o any particular desired design, having at its top a manhole ring 11 closed by an inner pan 12 and an outer manhole vcover 13, preferably located approximately level with the street or ground surface. Y

Below the floor level of the well 10 is a pit 14 located at the head of a sewer conduit 15, and mounted between the well 10 and the pit 14 is a 'floor-board 16, preferably formed ot' wood which has been treated with asphalt or other suitable material to render it water-tight, said floor-board being preferably calked in a. metal `frame 17 which is securely anchored in the masonry oi the well.

This floor-board 16 'forms a support for' the entire mechanism of the device and has a valved opening 18 therein constituting a disch roe port, establish ing direct communication between the well and the sewer conlduit 15. An annular tapered valve seat 19 is secured in said opening 18 by screws Y2O and cooperating with said seat is a tubular valve 21 having a tapered valve ring 22 preferably formed of rubber and held in an annular groove in said valve by its inherent tension.

The upper sleeve portion 28 of the flushing valve 21 extends upwardly to a point somewhat above the maximum level of the water in the well and is oic a substantially uniform diameter throughout its length so that the liuid head in the well will not exert an appreciable downward pressure thereon such as would tend to forcefully hold the flushing valve closed. This construction provides a tubular flushing valve which is open throughout its length and at all times communicates with the atmosphere so as to minimize suction influences tending to prematurely close the flushing valve and occasioned by the sudden discharge ol the flushing water from the well.

This particular type of flushing valve is more fully described in my said prior patent, to which reference may be had for a more detailed explanation of its particular operation and advantages.

In thepresent device the flushing valve is guided in its vertical opening and closing movements by two opposed straps 241 which encircle the tubular extension 28 of the valve and are clamped by bolts 25 to diametrically opposite upright columns 26. These columns are preferably formed of pipe lengths having flanges 27 at their lower ends, byv means of which they are securedto the iloorboard 15, and they extend upwardly a considerable distanceabove the maximum water level, where they are connected together by a stationary cross-beam 28 removably sccured to the uprights by set-screws 29 or by other suitable means.

The means employed for opening the liushing valve includes an operating bucket 8O which is located within theupper portion oli-the tubular valve extension 23, this bucket being suspended from connections carried by the stationary cross-beam 28 and in turn connected with the flushing valve in such a manner that as the bucket lowers, the flushing valve will. be elevated, and reversely, as

' the valve closes, the bucket will be elevated to its normal position. The particular type of connecting means illustrated in the drawings comprises two vertically disposed bellcrank levers 31 and 34 pivoted respectively on opposite sides of the cross-head 28 and preferably parallel to each other and to the croesfhead which. is aligned with a diametric plane intersecting the axes of the flushing valve, the operating bucket, and the two upright columns, thus disposing the respective levers 81 and 84 on opposite sides of such diametric plane, shown in Fig. 2.

The pivot 31a of the lever 31 is offset, in the direction of said diametric plane, to one side of the axis of the bucket and vflushing valve, and the pivot 34 'of the companion lever 34e is similarly offset to the opposite side ofsuch axis, as is plainly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

.The lever 31 has an arm 32, the outer end olf which is connected by a chain 32C to an outwardly projecting ear 32e secured to one side of the upper end of the flushing valve extension 23, and also has an oppositely extending arm 33, the outer end ot' which is connected by a chain 33 to an outwardly projecting ear 330 secured to one side of the upper end oit' the operating bucket 30. Sinilarly the lever 34; has an arm 35 having its outer end connected by a chain 85C to an outwardly projecting ear 35@ which is secured to one side of the upper end of the flushing valve extension 23 diametrically opposite the ear 32e, and also has an oppositely extending arm 36, the outer end of which is connected by a chain 36 to an inwardly projecting ear 86 secured to the upper end of the operating bucket 30 diametrically opposite the ear 3 E.

For convenience the arms 33 and 36- and the associated chains 33C and 36C may be termed inner arms and inner chains since they connect with the inner bucket 30, and the arms `32 and 85 and their associated chains 32C and 35C may be termed outer arms and outer chains since they connect with the outer Yflushing valve 23.

In the drawings the flushing valve is shown in its downward closed position and thc operating bucket this time is in its uppermost position. Vf hen the mechanism is thus normally disposed, the outer arms 32 and 36 of the respective bell-crank levers 3l and 34 assume more or less horizontal positions (as illustrated) and the inner arms 33 and 36 ot said bellcrank levers assume angled positions preferably about lori; live degrees (e150) that is, the inner arm of each et' the bell-crank levers 31 and 84tis angled approximately one hundred and thirty-tive degrees (1350) in relation to its outer arm.

In the operation of the device, the operating bucket 30 receives sufficient water, through means to be later described, 'to overbalance the weight of the flushing valve, the weighted bucket thus becoming the source of power to open the 'flushing valve. During this valve opening operation the outer arms 82 and 35 of the bellcrank levers move from their horizontal positions to the angle'. positions indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the inner arms `and 3G move to horizontal positions. rIherealter the the b .cket 250 is emptied until weight of the flushing valve again overcomes the weight of the emptied bucket,l

whereupon the flushing valve will close and elevate the bucket through the chain and lever connections until the mechanism is again in the normal condition illustrated in the drawings. y

Thus during the valve opening operation the bucket is the source of power, and the flushing valve, the weight to be lifted, and the inner arms 33 and 36, which are connected to the bucket7 function as the power ends of the bell-crank levers, while the outer arms 32 and 35, which are connect-ed to the flushing valve, function as the weight ends of said levers, and reversely,y when the mechanism is returned to normal, the {lushing valve becomes the source of powc1 and the' outer arms 32 and 35 function as the power ends of said bell-crank levers, while the bucket becomes the weight to be lifted and the inner arms 33 and 36 function as the weight ends of the bell-crank le From an examination of bell-crank lever 31 as shown in Fig. l of the drawii it will be evident that as the outer arm 32 moves upwardly to the angled position, indicated in dotted lines, the point of attachment of the associated chain 32c gradually moves closer to a vertical plane intersecting the pivot 31 of said lever, thus gradually decreasing the horizontal distance between said point and said pivot with a resulting gradual decrease in the effective lever-arm of the arm 32 which during this operation is the weight end of this bellcrank. In a reverse manner, and at the same time, the oppositearm 35 of said lever moves downwardly from its normal angled position to a horizontal position and its point of attachment with Athe associated chain 35c gradually moves further away from said pivot intersecting plane thus gradually increasing the horizontal distance between said point and said pivot with a resulting gradual increase in the effective lever-arm of the arm 35 which during this operation is the power end of said bellcrank.

Now considering a reverse operation during which the flushing valve is closed and the mechanism restored to normal condition, it should be quite revident 'tnat the effective lever-arm of the arm 35 gradually decreases, however, since in this restoring operation it is the outer arm which is the power end of the bell-crank instead of the inner arm 35, in the valve opening operation, it follows that with this arrangement the effective lever-arm of whichever end of the lever is at the time functioning as power end will gradually be increased while the effective lever-arm of the opposite weight end will be gradually decreased. As both bell-crank levers are of duplicate proportions and are similarly arranged, it will also be evident that they both function in like manner.

To limit the downward movement of the bucket 30 and the upward movement of the flushing valve, and to cushion these parts and the connecting mechanism against un-V due shock' at the end of the valve opening operation, 1 providea stop means for each bell-crank lever, preferably positioned in the path of the inner arm thereof. Each of these stop means comprises abolt 38 which loosely passes through a metal washer 39 and a block 4i() of rubber', and through a shelf 41 extending laterally from the crossiead 23, upon which shelf the block l() A nut 42 is screwed upon the lower end of said bolt below said shelf to limit upward movement thereof. f

lVith this type of motion transmitting means the descending elen ent exerts a gradually increasing elevating influence on the ascending element, thus insuring a more positive and a quicker opening and closing of the flushing valve than has heretofore been possible.

As shown in Fig.v l, the operating bucket 39 has an opening in it-s bottom wall and in this opening there is provided a tubular valve seat 4-3 secured in place by a lochnut 44e engaging' the screw-threaded shank of said seat and clamping against the bottom wall of the bucket. A cap l5 screwed upon the lower end of said valve seat shank and is provided with a discl'large oriiice 46 through which a guide rod 47 of a drain valve 48 extends, said roelL being considerably smaller in diameter than said discharge orifice to permit a free vpassage of fluid through said orifice. The valve i8 cooperates with the valve seat i3 and has an upwardly projecting operating rod i9 which extends through a bore `in the crosshead Q8, the upper end of said rod 49 having a laterally bent portion 50 slightly spaced from the upper surface of said crosshead when the mechanism is innormal condition with the drain valve i8 closed, this slight spacing of the bent over end 50 above the cross-head being for the purpose of allowing a free closing of said valve.

vWhile it will be understood that various means may be employed to slowly till the flushing well A and to fill vthe operating bucket when the well becomes full, the means illustrated in the drawings, such means being of the type disclosed in my copending application Serial No.- 341,593 filed February 2l, 1929, will now be described.

rlhe float controlled service valve mechanism includes a valve body 5l suitably secured to the cross-head 28 and having a pressure chamber 52 ccnm'iunicating with a service pipe connected. to the city water system or other source of water under pressure.

A discharge chamber 5a' communito overcome the service water a reduced `aortion 59 see Fie'. 3 providing" C: L o

opposed shoulders 60. Extending on opposite sides of said reduced portion so as to engage the opposed shoulders 60 are two fork arms 6l of avalve operating lever 62, said arms being` pivot-ed on a pivot pin 63 in the bracket 58 and the lever 62 being provided with a float 64 by means of which the valve 55 is operated. The wall of' the pressure chamber 52 has a verv small outlet port 65 through which the flushing water is discharged from the service line directly into the well, as indicated in Fig. l, and the wall of the discharge chamber 54 has -a drain .port 66, said outlet port 65 being very minute as compared to the size of the service pipe 53 and the filling conduit 56; for instance, where these pipes are one-half inch insize, said port 65 will preferably be the size of a standard number sixty drill.

Describing the operation of the device, it is assumed that the mechanism is in a normal condition with the flushing valve seated and the service 'water turned on. Under t-hese conditions the pressure of the service water acting upon the upper surface of the closed service valve 55 will tend to hold said valve closed and a very small portion of the service water will slowly discharge from the pressure chamber 52 through the minute port 65, thus slowly filling the main flushing well l0. In practice a sewer flushing well of ordinary size will have a capacity of about 360 gallons of flushing water and the filling jet discharged from the port 65 will be of such small volume that from twenty to twenty-four hoursV time will be required in which to fill the flushing well.

As the water level reaches a proper predetermined height, as illustrated in Fig. l, the water will exert a buoyant force upon the float 64 but until this force is sufficient pressure exerted upon the upper surface of the closed service valve 55, the float 64 will remain in its normal lower position and become more submerged as the water level rises. lhen, through such increased submergence, the float has sufficient lifting power, the valve 55 will be opened. However, such opening will not be a slow gradual opening but will be a relatively quick opening` since as soon as the valve 55 is cracked7 or just slightly corresponding lag in the time of closing ofV this valve, as will be later referred to.

Upon the opening of the service valve 55 when the well is filled to the desired level,

approximately the full service supply (excepting the small amount which continues to flow into the main well through the filling` port 65, and a small amount which will, as later described, flow through a safety port 66) will flow through the goose-neck conduit 56 to fill the operating bucket 30.

The flow of service water into the operating bucket 30 will increase the weight hanging upon the inner arms 33 and 36 of the bell-crank lever arrangement which connects said bucket with the flushing valve 23 and when this weieht overbalances the weight of the flushing valve, the operating bucket will start to descend to correspondingly open the flushing valve. Due to the increasing elevating effect produced by the descending operating bucket through the bell-crank lever connections, as previously explained, the opening of the flushing valve will be quick and positive.`

Further contributing to the positive open ing of the flushing valve, will be the lag (previously referred to) in the closing of the service valve 55. Of course it will be understood that as soon as the flushing valve starts to open, the flushing water in the well will start to discharge into the pit 14 and sewer l5, through the opening 18, thus causing a lowering of the water level in the well. However, due to the upward bob of the float 64 during the opening of the service valve 55, said valve 55 will not completely close until the water is at a much lower level than that which was re,uired to cause the said valve to crack and by reason of this lag in the closing of the service valve, the maximum flow of service water into the operating bucket 30 will continue for an appreciable time after the flushing valve starts to open.

The operating bucket 30 retains all of the water which flows in'to'it until said bucket descends a sufficient distance to cause the upper hooked end 50 of the stem 49 of the drain valve 48 to contact with the upper surface of the' cross-beam 28, whereupon said drain valve will no longer descend with the operating bucket but will remain suspended from the cross-beam 28, thus effecting an opening of said drain valve. Upon opening ofsaid drain valve the Water contained in the operating bucket vvill start to drain through the drain port 4G. However, the of this drain port is so proportioned in relation to the size of the Well discharge opening 1S and the action of the mechanisn'i, as to insure a complete emptying of the flushing Well before sutlicient Water has drained from the operating bucket 30 to cause a normalizing' closing operation of the flushing valve and its associated mechanism. In the operation of the practical device in actual service, the full opening movement vof the flushing valve is eected in 'a substantially instantaneous; manner after the opcrating bucket is filled and an appreciable time will elapse before the Water level in the Well will lower sufficiently to eil'ect a closing of the service valve and during this time the service Water Will continue to flow into the operating bucket at least as fast as it drains through the drain port 46. rl`he flushing opening 1S is of sufficient size to discharge the 300 gallons of Water in the Well in about thirty seconds and this discharge is so fast in relation to the draining of the Weight Water from the bucket through the drain port 46 that there is plenty of time for the Well to fully discharge its llushing Water before the mechanism again starts to normalize.

As previouslyT mentioned, the drain port G6 in the service valve body 52 is a safety feature intended to take care of any ordinary leakag'e in the service valve; that is, in case of ordinary leakage the Water leaking past the closed service valve Will drain through the port 6G in preference to flowing upwardly over the goose-neck of the conduit 5G, such port G6 being able to take care of valve leakage up to at least a leakage equal to the full draining capacity of such drain port. This draining capacity is su'l'icient to take care of all ordinary valve leakage. However, if a leakage greater than said capacity occurs, the excess leakage will of course pass over into the operating bucket but this Will only cause more frequent operations of the device.

Such a situation Will never occur in actual practice since this drain port {i6-is approximately one-quarter of an inch in diameter' and a valve leakage even apporaching` such volume Would Vbe vreadily noted and eliminated by repair upon one of the regular periodic inspections to which all municipal sewer flushing devices are subjected.

It has been previously explained how the lag7 in the full closing of the service valve causes the service Water to flow into the operating bucket for an appreciable time after the flushing valve 2l starts to open. This is a desirable feature Which is further augmented by the provision of the drain opening 66 by reason of the fact that afterthe service valve 55 is opened and While the 0perating bucket 30 is being filled, said drain port G6 is discharging Water into the Well and thus continuing the raising of the Water level inthe Well and the greater submergence of the then stationary float 64 with such resulting delay in the closing of the service valve in relation to the approximately instantaneous opening of the iushing valve that the full service flow is continued until after the flushing valve is fully opened;

From the above descriptionk it Will be apparent that l have provided an improved sewer flushing device in Which the flushing Well is slowly lled by a minute flow from the service line and when the flushing Water reaches a predetermined level, a float-controlled service valve is quickly opened tov direct a niajorservice flow directly into the operating bucket until after said bucket and its contained Water over-balance and operate the lushing valve by means of interconnecting bell-crank lever mechanism simultaneously effecting increase of the eii'cctive leverarm of the power ends of said levers and a decrease of the effective lever-aan of the weight ends of said levers, and in which the operating bucket is provided with drain means permitting emptying of said bucket after the flushing Well is emptied so as to cause a normalizing of the device.

The drain valve 48 is of particular advantage when the service pressure is so lov7 that the Water would drain from` the bucket,

in the absence of the drain valve, as fast asl Water would flow into the bucket.v However, in instances Where the service pressure is relatively high so that Water Would in any event flow vinto the bucket faster than it could possibly drain through the drain port 46, the drain valve 48 could, if desired, be dispensed With.

`While it'niay be possible for the flushing valve to seat when its Weight just slightly overbalances the/Weight of the empty oper` ating bucket, it is in practice desirable that the valve have an appreciable excess of Weight so to forcefully engage the valve seat to insure a Water-tight closing of the valve.

Since the valve closes under gravity influences, it Will under such condition of excess valve Weight close a great deal easier than it will be opened and therefore the Weight of Water necessary in the operating bucket to open the valve Will be proportionately in excess of that Which Would'be required to open the valve if its Weight just slightly overbalanced the Weight ,of the empty bucket. lt is, however, evident that when the mechanism is operated With the flushing Y drained from the bucket; that is, since the flushing valve will close just beyond a point of perfect'counterbalance, such closing of the flushing valve will take place before the excess weight water which was required to open the valve has had time to drain from the bucket, thus this excess water will become trapped in the bucket by reason of the closed drain valve 48 and will counterbalance the excess weight of the flushing valve so that the aforesaid forceful seating of the flushing valve would not be present. Therefore, to

. insure a complete draining of the bucket under such condition, it is desirable to make the valve 48 a buoyant valve which will operate in the following manner.

It will be evident that a buoyant valve will seatV when the bucket is empty, as previously explained, and it will be understood that it will remain seated while the bucket is being filled, dueto the weight of water upon its upper surface. Now when the bucket drops to open the flushing valve, the drain valve 48 will be arrested by reason of the hooked end 50 of its operatingrod 49 engaging the cross-beam 28, as previously explained. When this occurs, the buoyant drain valve will float to the surface of the water in the bucket and will not again seat until substantially all of Vthe water has drained from the bucket, even though the bucket has in the meantime returned to its normal position to permit the flushing valve to seat.

It will thus be apparent that a buoyant drain valve will be of advantage in any instance in which there is a substantial predominant force tending to hold the flushing valve forcefully against its seat, and will under all conditions insure a substantially complete drainingyof the operating bucket after each sewer flushing operation of the device.

lVhile the particular embodiment herein illustrated and described is fully capable olf' fulfilling all'of the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that I do not desire to limit the present invention thereto for it is susceptible .of embodiment in various other forms, all of which will come Within the scope of the following` claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a sewer flushing device, the combination of: a well having an outlet communieating with a sewer; a valve closing'said outlet; a stationary support; an operating bucket; and connecting means including a bell-crank lever pivoted on said support to oscillate in a vertical plane, said lever having an arm connected to said valve and adapted to move from a substantially horizontal normal position to an upwardly angled position with a gradual decrease of its reffective lever-arm, and an opposed arm `connected to said bucket and adapted to move from a normal upwardly angled position to a substantially horizontal position with a gradual increase of its lever-arm.

2. In a sewer flushing device, the combination of: a well having an outlet communieating with a sewer; a valve closing said outlet; a stationary support; an operating bucket; and connecting means between said valve and said bucket, said connecting means including two bell-crank levers pivoted to said support for vertical oscillation, each lever having an outer arm connected to said valve and an opposed inner arm Vconnected to said bucket, said outer arms each being adapted to move from a substantially horizontal normal position to an upwardly angled position with a gradual decrease of its effective lever-arm and said inner arms each 'being adapted to move from an upwardly angled normal position to a substantially horizontal position with a gradual increase of its effective lever-arm.

3. VIn a sewer flushing device, the combination of: a well having an outlet communicatingwith a sewer; a valve Closing said outlet and having a tubular extension open at its upper end; a stationary support; an operating bucket in said tubular valve eX- tension; and connecting means between said valve and said bucket, said connecting means including two bell-crank levers pivoted to said support for vertical oscillation, each lever having an outer arm and an opposed inner arm, the respective outer arms being connected to diametricallv opposite sides of said valve extension and adapted to move from substantially horizontal normal positions to upwardlyangled positions with a gradual decrease of their effective leverarms, and the respective inner arms being connected to diametrically opposite sides of said bucket and adapted to move from upwardly angled normal positions to substantially horizontal positions with a gradual increase of their effective lever-arms.

4. In a sewer flushing device, the combination of: a well adapted to contain a body of flushing fluid and having an outlet communicat-ing with a sewer; a valve closing said outlet and .having a tubular extension eX- tending above the maximumV level of said body of fluid; an operating bucket-suspended within said valve extension; a stationary support; and a balance connection between said valve and said bucket pivotally mounted on said stationary support.

5. A device as defined in claim 4, in which said connection includes two relatively parallel bell-crank levers, each having a normally iorizontal outer arm connected to said valve extension and an opposed normally upwardly angled inner arm connected to said operating bucket.

6. A device as delined in claim 4, in which said connection includes two parallel bellllil crank levers disposed on opposite sides of a vertical plane diametrically intersecting the axis of saidvalve, with their respective pivotal centers disposed on opposite sides of a vert-ical plane intersecting said axis f right angles to said first named plane, 'and in which each of said levers has a normally horizontal outer arm and an opposed normally upwardly angled arm, said outer arms being connected by linkage to opposite sides of saidl valve extension, and said inner arms being connected by linkage to opposite sides of said operating bucket.

7. ln a sewer flushing device, the combination of: a well adapted to contain a body of flus ing fluid and having an outlet communicating with a sewer; a flushing valve closing said outlet and having a tubular extension extending above the maximum level of said body of fluid; an operating bucket suspended within Ysaid valve extension; a stationary support; al balance connection between said valve and said bucket pivotally mounted on said support, said valve normally overbalancing the bucket to` hold it elevated` and the bucket being adapted to overbalance and open said valve when said bucket receives a predetermined amount of water; means for directing water into said bucket when said body of flushing fluid reaches a predetermined level; and means permitting a relatively slow draining of the operating bucket after it operates the flushing valve.

8. ln a sewer flushing device, the combination of: a well adapted to contain a body of flushing fluid and having an outlet communicating with a sewer; a flushing valve closing said outlet and having a tubular extension extending above the maximum level of said body of fluid; an operating bucket suspended within said valve extension, said bucket having a restricted drain orifice; a stationary support; a balance connection between said valve and said bucket pivotally mounted on said support, said valve normally overbalancing the bucket to hold it elevated andthe bucket being adapted to overbalance and open said valve when said bucket receives a predetermined amount of water; means for directing water into said bucket when said body of flushing fluid reaches a predetermined level; a drain valve closing said drain orice when said bucket is in elevated position; and means functioning to opensaid drain valve when the operating bucket descends, for permitting a rela-tively slow draining of the operating bucket after it operates a flushing valve.

9. ln a sewer flushing device, the combination of: a well adapted to contain a body ot flushing fluid and having an outlet communicating with a sewer; a flushing valve closing said outlet and having a tubular extension extending above the maximum level of said body of fluid; an operating bucket suspended within said lvalve extension,l said bucket havingy a restricted drain orifice; a' stationary support; a balance connection between said valve and said bucket pivotally mounted on said support, said valve normally over-balancing the bucket to hold it elevated and the bucket being adapted to overbalance and open said valve when said bucket receives a predetermined amount of water; means for directing water into said bucket when said body of flushing fluid reaches a predetermined level; a buoyant valve closing said drain orifice when said bucket is in elevated position and adapted to be held closed by the water flowing into said bucket; and means functioning to open said buoyant valve when the operating bucket descends, for permitting a relatively slow draining of the operating bucket after it operates the flushing valve, said buoyant valve when opened by said means rising to the water level in said bucket so as to close only aft-er substantially all of said water has drained from the bucket.

l0. ln a. sewer flushing device, the combiy nation of: well having an outlet commumcating with a sewer; a flushing valve -closing said outlet; an operating bucket having a restricted drain orifice; a stationary support; a balance connection between said valve and said bucket pivotally mounted on said support, said valve normally overbalancing the bucket to hold it elevated and the bucket being adapted to overbalance and open said valve when said bucket receives a predetermined amount of water; means for directing water into said bucket when said body of flushing fluid reaches a predetermined level; a buoyant valve closing said.

drain orifice when said bucket is in elevated position and adapted to be held closed by the water flowing into said bucket; and means functioning to open said buoyant valve when the operati ng bucket descends for permitting a relatively slow draining of the operating bucket after it operates the flushing valve,said

buoyantvalve when opened by said means rising to the water level in vsaid bucket so as to close only after substantially all of said water has drained from the bucket.

ll. ln a sewer flushing device, the combination of: a well adapted to contain a body oi flushing fluid and havin@ an outlet communicating with a sewer; a valve closing said outlet and having a tubular extension extending above the maximum level of said body of fluid; an operating bucket suspended within said valve extension; a stationary support; a balance connection between said valve and said bucket pivotall'y mounted on said stationary support; a service water pipe line for discharging service water directly into the operating bucket; a normally closed service valve Ain said pipe line; means Controlled by the body of 1ushing fluid in said Well and functioning to open said service valve when the flushing fluid reaches a predetermined level and 5 thereby cause Said bucketto be filled to overbalance and'open the flushing valve and to close said service valve after the flushing` valve is opened; and means permitting 'a relatively slow draining of the operating bucket after it operates the flushing valve. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto Set my hand vat Los Angeles, Callifoi'nia,'this 26th day of February, V1929.

1 LOUIS F. KATONA. 

